Star Mile
by kaihil lover
Summary: He's forever stuck between leaving and staying. [KaiXHil]


_**Star Mile**_

They are the last two of the Bladebreakers to be still living in the Granger Dojo, having not moved out through the span of their entire college life.

The dojo is important for them. It is his first and only home. And a place Hilary has come to grow too fond of to want to leave.

A quiet companionship forges, with the former captain and coach living together in close quarters.

After college ends, he knows it's been long enough.

He informs Grandpa Granger that he'll be moving out. It's time for him to take over Hiwatari Enterprises and it is better to move into a place closer to the company.

It's also time for him to grow up.

He tells Hilary merely as a formality.

Because he still doesn't believe that he owes _peopleakintofriends_ any explanation, ever, but he feels the need to at least _tell_

Something goes off in his heart when he sees her face fall upon hearing the news. And whatever excitement he had for his new place stubs out into meaninglessness

Nevertheless she smiles and puts on a brave face. And tell him she's happy for him.

He wonders why she won't stop him. Would he, if she did?

The days that follow find him going over to his new apartment to settle things in, and he's taken aback by the realization that he feels lonely.

It's been a long time since the Hiwatari heir has felt lonesome. And he finds himself pondering over when the formerly ever-present feeling disappeared

He comes home (_soontobeformerhome_) to find an answer.

The frustration at his distaste for his new – somewhat looked forward to – start, irks him, and he does what he needs to do. After all, he never did have much respect for other people's outlooks

She comes into her room to find her stuff packed into boxes, only the bare necessities left as is. A few possibilities run through her head.

She turns around and sees herself almost face to face with him.

He tells her she's leaving with him, and that he has enough space for two, and that he packed her stuff, and to get ready to leave by tomorrow.

There's the swish of his scarf, and he's gone. And Hiromi's left staring at her now vacant room.

It's all about having a roof over your head, right? So why does he still fear that she'll stay

However, the only reason they have been together for so long is because neither of them wanted to leave the dojo –

It's an unspoken, established circumstance.

Or has there been another reason for them to stay? The distaste at the thought of leaving without Hiromi leaves a bitter taste in his mouth

He expects her to chase after him and strangle him with his scarf for being an assumptive bastard. Expect the unexpected; she doesn't even come out for dinner, leaving Grandpa Granger to worry about his home girl

He should help her returnher stuff to its place… but he resents her, and he won't

It's not like he is not used to the feeling of emptiness and lack-of-purpose in life, so he plans to leave on schedule, with or without…

Stepping out into the hallway with his duffel bag over his should from the room which is formerly Hiro's, and formerly his now as well, he walks into Hilary stepping out of her, formerly Tyson's, room.

A relief like never before – maybe the kind he only feels when Dranzer rises from the ashes – washes over him when he sees her tentative smile, and a suitcase behind her.

He's not really a gentleman (his mother and father, were they alive, would probably smack him for his boorish-ness) but he can't help offering to take her bag.

She doesn't say anything, and he's never –_ nevereverever_ – one to break the silence. Their beaming smiles seem enough to fill the need for words, though

Grandpa Granger doesn't seem surprised. Maybe the old man sees more than he lets on… He just ruffles both their hair, and aptly kicks them out on the streets, literally

The Kendo master feels alone, despite how glad he is for the pair of them. However he reminds himself that those two need to have the most wonderful start they can get.

And they laugh standing in the snow at the irony of the situation, and at how far they've come, and because they're scared that they're leaving behind, the last thing they really, truly know

But they're together, so they're not technically totally leaving behind everything from the past. Still.

He wants to wonder why she isn't staying. She's not one to leave… that's him. He thinks that it's better not to think of it

He grabs her hand to direct her, but he laces his fingers with his own because he thinks it'll make for a better start

Now how did she end up in the middle of the street of her new home… and Hilary can't help feel a bit of mistrust towards the man next to her, since Kai's Kai and he can be a little undependable, even though she'd never admit it

Then again she never can remember a time when he's let her down where it counts, and she stares down at their still interlaced fingers and decides to just be happy, because she truly is

She enters first, and he hesitates not knowing how she'll react to the place. After all she got to have no say –

But Hilary isn't the kind of person to dislike many things. She's just the kind of person who lashes out at every little detail, and that's something he can live with

She loves the place, and he releases the breath he's been unintentionally holding

He finds himself wondering as they unpack boxes – it's uncanny how he wonders so much these days – how their teammates will react to this situation

He notices that he's amused by what will be their scandalized reactions, and not affronted or chastened

She seems happy to him as they settle into their new place, new lives, and billions of questions, and even more possibilities, _maybe-s _swirl in his mind, till he basically screams _stop!_ outloud

The place doesn't seem as lonely as before, but pleasant in a way he's rarely ever known.

* * *

_I heard your heart beating… you were in the darkness too… so I stayed in the darkness with you… #summer2013_

Pointless. But some sentences are purposely left hanging without a period at the end.

I tried to attempt a somewhat different format of storytelling. Somewhat. I like this.

_**Disclaimer: **_I own nothing.

**03:25 PM. 11th July, 2014**


End file.
